|
|
|
|
|
Son of Zeus and Leto, Apollo was the god of light, and hence of the intellect. He was also the god of healing and of the arts. At Delphi he had a shrine with the famous oracle, which originally had belonged to and had been guarded by the Python, a female dragon, which he slew with his unerring arrows. His first love was Daphne, the huntress who at last turned into a laurel after his endless long pursuit. He gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy, but, when she denied him her love, he nullified it by decreeing that no one would ever believe her. He also granted the Cumaean Sibyl longevity, enabling her to live as long as she could hold grains of sand in her hands. But, likewise, when she denied him her favors, he refused to attach eternal youth and lasting beauty to her eternal years. Thus, she grew incredibly uglier and uglier and finally longed for death.
[解说] 1. “Son of Zeus and Leto, Apollo was the god of light, and hence of the intellect”： Zeus 和 Leto 的儿子，Apollo 是光明之神，而因此也是智慧之神。 “son of ...”= “Being son of ...” = “As he was son of ...”：因为 (由于、既然) 他是 ... 的儿子。 “intellect” = wisdom。
2. “He was also the god of healing and of the arts”：他也是治疗之神与艺术之神。 “healing”指「医药治疗」。 “arts” 指「各种艺术」。
3. “At Delphi he had a shrine with the famous oracle”：在 Delphi 地方，他有个神庙，有那有名的神谕。 “shrine”：神庙、神龛。 “oracle”：神谕、问神的龛位或神桌。
4. “which originally had belonged to and had been guarded by the Python”：那龛位原来属于 Python，也被 Python 守卫着。
5.
“a
female dragon, which he slew with his unerring arrows”：(Python 是) 一只母龙，被他用不会失误的箭给屠杀了。Slay, slew,
slain：屠杀。 据说：此 Python 如龙 (dragon) 又如蟒 (serpent)，很难对付，阿波罗如无 “unerring arrows” (不失误的箭)，不可能取胜。 今日， “python”即指「巨蟒」之类的蛇。
6. “His first love was Daphne”：他第一个所爱的人是 Daphne (达福妮)。 “lover”是「爱人者」， “love” 是「被爱者」。
7. “the huntress who at last turned into a laurel after his endless long pursuit”：那位女猎人，她最后变成月桂树，在被他不停地追逐很久以后。Daphne 喜猎而怕结婚。阿波罗见她后，穷追不舍，逼得她求神协助而变成桂树。此后阿波罗便以桂树叶所做的桂冠来给予胜利者 (victor)。今日所谓的「桂冠诗人」(poet laureate) 与「诺贝尔奖得主」(Nobel laureate) 都是由此而得名。 pursue, pursuit：追逐。
8. “He gave Cassandra the gift of prophecy”：他给 Cassandra 预言的天份。 “gift”：天份、礼物。 prophesy, prophecy：预言。
9. “but, when she denied him her love”：可是，当她拒绝给他她的爱时。
注意：deny sb. sth. 的句型。 他例：He denied me the right. (他拒绝给我那权利)。
10. “he nullified it by decreeing that...” ：他取消它的效力，藉由颁令...。 “nullify”：使失效、取消。 “decree”：训令、颁布。
11. “no one would ever believe her”：没有人会相信她的话。Cassandra 能预言但没人听，也是没用。 12. “He also granted the Cumaean Sibyl longevity”：他也赐给 Cumae 的 Sibyl 长寿。 Sibyl 是女预言家 (prophetess) 或女魔术师 (sorceress)。 “longevity”：长寿。
13. “enabling her to live as long as she could hold grains of sand in her hands”：使她能活多久就活多久，只要她手里能抓住沙粒。在此 “enabling” = and enabled (而使能够)。 as long as：如 ... 一样久长，只要。 grains：粒。
14. “But, likewise, when she denied him her favors”：可是，ㄧ样的，当她拒绝给他她的喜爱时。 “likewise”：同样的。 “favors”指「喜爱」。
15. “he refused to attach eternal youth and lasting beauty to her eternal years”：他拒绝附加永恒的年轻与持久的美丽到永恒的岁月上头。attach A to B：附加 A 到 B。 “eternal”：永恒的。 “lasting”：持久的。
16. “Thus, she grew incredibly uglier and uglier”：因此，她变得无可置信的越来越丑。 “incredibly”：无可置信的。
17. “and finally longed for death”：而最后渴望死亡。long to do sth. 或 long for sth.：渴望某事物。
18. 这段充分刻画 Apollo 的性格。他是智慧光明之神，但自己似乎也不太光明：他没有赢取芳心的智慧，却又忌恨别人不领情、不钟爱他。
[复习填充] Son of Zeus and Leto, Apollo was the god of light,
and h of the in
. He was also the god of h and
of the arts. At Delphi he had a s with
the famous o , which originally had belonged and
had been guarded the Python, a female d
, which he slew with his un arrows.
His first was Daphne, the huntress who at
last turned into a l after his endless
long p . He gave Cassandra the
gift of p , but, when she d
him her love, he n it
by de that no one
would ever believe her. He also granted the Cumaean Sibyl l
, enabling her to live as as she could
hold g of sand in her hands. But, l
, when she denied him her f , he refused
to attach eternal youth and l beauty
her eternal years. Thus, she grew in
uglier and uglier and finally l for
death. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
